Motorhome Fridges

February 24, 2012

It’s been said before that the only difference between a campervan and a tent is a roof and a fridge. Of course, that’s not quite true, but refrigeration does make a real difference when it comes to the practicalities of day to day camping. Fridges are a valuable asset for any campervan so how can you make sure yours is well looked after?

Finding a Fridge

There are a lot of options available to you when it comes to finding a fridge. You’ll need a fridge which matches your power source (whether that’s electric or gas) and what you need very much depends on your usage. A proper camping fridge powered by gas is probably your best bet for storing large amounts of food, but if you just want to keep a few beers cold then something smaller and more akin to a domestic fridge might suffice.

Defrosting

You’ll have to defrost your fridge periodically, just like your kitchen fridge, to make sure it’s able to keep to the right sort of temperatures. If things are starting to get icy or even starting to feel warm then take everything out, lay down a few towels to catch any drips and just switch the fridge off and allow it to get to room temperature. Give it a quick clean and once you’re done you can restock.

Storing Food

Fridges should never be used to store hot food, particularly in campervans. The small size of fridges in campervans means that they are severely affected by changes in temperature and storing something warm in there can really kick up the temperature. It’s also worth thinking about prioritising space – milk and butter always need refrigerating and will go stale within a few hours whereas last night’s chicken can probably last a day.

If you keep your fridge clean and defrost it regularly you should have no problems but if it leaks, floods and damages your upholstery you might not be able to claim on your motorhome insurance. Keep cool, think through what you need your fridge for and keep it well maintained!